Improvement in permutation locks



tiene Y. sans @sind @Milla j JOSEPH E. BARNES, OF DANVERS CENTREAND LUCIUS P. BARNES, OFv

FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS. 4

L etters Patent No. 1Q7 ,590, dated September 20, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN PERMUTATION LOCKS.

The Schedule referred to-ix1 these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To lill persons to whom these presents Vmay come Be it known that we, JOSEPH E. BARNES, of Danvers Centre, of the county of` Essex and State of Massachusetts, and LUcIUsP. BARNES, of Fitchburg, of the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Permutation Lock, and do hereby declare the saine to be fully described in the follow-ing specification and represented in the accompanying drawing, of which- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the look, it being taken through one of the latches;

Figure 2 is another vertical transverse `secltiou of the lock, it being taken through the tail and spring of thekca'tch-shat't Figure 3 is a viewA of the mechanism of the lock as it appears when Ithe cap is removed from the lockplate, and the key-plate is turned back from its nor mal position in front of the several latches;

Figure 4 is a horizontal transverse section;

Figure 5 is a front elevation; and

Figure 6 isa rear elevation of such lock.

In s uch drawing- =A denotes the lock-plate, and 'B the cap Aor cover for the works or internal parts of the lock, the' said plate and cap being formed as represented.

AA portion, a, of the lock-plate is arranged at a right anglewith the remainder or part, b, and has three, or any other suitable number of vparallel slots, c c c, made init, as shown in Figure 7, which is a top view of such part a, each of suchslots being for the reception oone-of a series of latches, O Cl O2.

These latches, arranged as shown in the drawing, hare their heads projecting through the several slots, the tails of such latches being pivoted to the lockplate, or a projection or rib,d, extended therefrom.

Each latch has an e'ar, c, projecting from one side' of it, the same being as shown in Figure 8, which is a side View, andin Figure 9, which is Aa rearyiew of one ofthe latches.

There is a catch-shaft, E, arrangedalong the inner side of the part a of the lock-plate and across the several latches()` G1 C2, the'journals ofsuch shaft being supported in bearings, j j, projecting from the part a. v

Figure 10 is a perspective view of thev catchshaft,

its projections-"or catches, gg. g, of different lengths,

spring, xedxto the lock-plate, and arrangedto act against the lat'ch, as shown at It in iig. 1.

' Ranging lengthwise of and on eachlatchlis aslide, F, which at its lower end is p ivoted -or hinged tov a post, G.

Each of the posts G slides .in one of a'vserics of slots, l l l, madeA in the part bof` the Vlock-plate, the post being provided not only with a changefscrew, ma, and nut a, but with an index-hoger, o,all formed. and arranged as' represented.

Figure 11 exhibits a rear view of the lock-plate as it appears without the index-1inger's, such view'showl ing a series of dots, indentations, or. marks, or divisA` ionsmade in the plate, to determine the positions for the index-fingers, vin order to vary those of a series of studs or pins, p p p,which project from and 'arepivoted to the several slides F F F.

The several pins p p p are extended through a series of parallel slides, q q q, so arranged in and applied to the key-p1ate H as to be capable of being moved longtudinally therein,'such key-plate being at its lower corners pivoted to the projections lr r from the lockplate or the rib (l thereof'.

The key-plate rests against the tail or arm of the catch-shaft. v

The mechanism, asabove described as applied to the lock-plate, is incased by a cover or cap, B, which may be fastened to the lock-plateby screws.

The said cap, where it covers the key-plate is proy vided with a series of key-holes, of which there is a i vertical range, s, to' each of the-'studs or pimp, and there are also other or intermediate ranges, t, and one or more outside ranges, u u.

Each of such key-holes may be simplya round hole made through the cap and to receive the head of lkey formed as shown in Figure 12. Y

We would remark that the distances-apart 4from center to center of the dots or divisions `von'the back of `the lock-plate are to correspond with'fthose of the key-holes of the ranges to operate with the studs pra .In preparing or setting this Alock for being used, -the screw-nuts ofv the posts are to be turned or looscned, and the posts are to be moved so as to cause the vextreme points of the index-fingers to rest against slide in the key-plate, tbe 'ends of the pins `being brought opposite to o1" in connection with the keyholes corresponding to the divisions against which the index-ngers may point.

Each of the latches, when locked, is forced against the iront end of its slot in the plate a, but when unlocked it is back against/or nearly against the other end of such slot, it being held back by its ear and one of the catches g of the catch-shaft. A

By forcing the key successively into the proper key-holes the latches may he unlocked, but should the key be forced into a wrongrkey-hole all the latches unlocked will-be immediately locked, as the key, under such circumstances, would `canse the key-plate to be moved so as to eiect the tripping of the' catch-shaft.

Thus it will be seen that, even should a person succeed in unlocking one of the latches, an attempt to force the key into another or wrong' key-hole will cause the latch previously unlocked to be looked.

If desirable, one of the latches may be made without an ear, or the catch-shaft projection next to the ear may be made too short to operate with the ear Under these circumstances the latch can only be actuated by its spring and the key.

lVe claim- The combination of the catch-shaft E, provided with the operating spring i, the ktail h, and catches g, as'described7 with the series of latches C Cl G2, and their springs la, and with the adjustable pins p, and the key-'plate H, either with 0r wit-hout its slides q, and the 'key-hole plate provided with keydioles, as

1 described.AV

Also,.`the combination'therewith ot' the divisions on the lock-plate A, thc index-fingers o, and the clamp- .scre'vls aand nuts u, applied to the pins or studs ,fp

p1), by means substantially as specified.

JOSEPH E'. BARNES. i A LUGIUS l?. BARNES. Witnesses R. H. EDDY, J. R. SNOW. 

